Easy Peasy Victoria sponge

This is a very straightforward recipe. Follow these instructions and you'll have a perfect Victoria sponge in no time!

Ingredients

125g butter
125g caster sugar
125g self-raising flour
2 eggs
Raspberry jam
Whipped double cream

1) Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl, until light and pale in colour.
2) Beat the eggs and add them to the main bowl, mixing until you achieve a smooth consistency.
3) Sift in the flour and fold it into the mixture.
4) Pour the mixture into 2 prepared Victoria sponge cake tins, and cook in the oven for 35 minutes at 180 degrees-Celsius.
5) Once fully baked, leave the sponge to cool. In the meantime, whip the double cream in a bowl, until it forms soft peaks. (The trick to doing this quickly is by whipping the cream in a metal bowl which has been placed in the freezer for a few minutes!)
6) Once the two sponge cakes have cooled, spread the whipped cream onto one side of one, and spread the jam onto one side of the other.
7) Sandwich the two cakes together, and (if you're feeling super adventurous) dust the cake with icing sugar. Finished!

This cake is perfect for teatime. Or, for an indulgent, comforting dessert, drown in tons of custard!

Almond Macaroons

These macaroons are so simple to make, although I'm sure real cooks would be somewhat appalled by the lack of skill involved here. These are chewy, nutty and so moreish. This batch makes around 12-15 macaroons.

Ingredients

200g ground almonds
100g butter
75g caster sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1) Preheat an oven at 160 degrees-Celcius
2) Mix all these ingredients together in one bowl....and that's it!
3) Place heaped tablespoons of the mixture onto a baking tray (lined with greaseproof paper), and use the back of the spoon to slightly flatten the small piles of mixture.
4)Place tray in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. The macaroons will still seem slightly soft when they come out of the oven, but not to worry- they will harden as they cool.

These macaroons are perfect with tea, coffee, or as a mid-morning snack. Enjoy!

Yummy Vegan Brownies

I created this recipe for my buddy Holly- a seasoned vegan with a love for chocolate. They are super simple to make, as the ingredients can all be combined in one bowl, before being transferred to a brownie tray for baking. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 banana (the perfect substitute for egg!)
1 cup of unrefined sugar (Demerera works best)
1 cup of soya margarine ('Pure' margarine is ideal)
5 heaped tablespoons of cocoa
1 cup of plain flour
1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon

1) Combine the margarine and sugar in a large bowl, until fully blended.
2) Mash the banana and add to the mixture.
3) Sieve the cocoa, flour and cinnamon into the bowl and stir until the mixture is smooth and of even consistency.
4) Pour into a prepared brownie tin and place into a preheated oven at 180 degrees-Celsius.
5) Bake for 15-18 minutes (or until a skewer inserted halfway between the centre and the side comes out clean). Remember- brownies are supposed to be squidgy in the middle, so DO NOT OVERCOOK!
6) Cut the brownie into 12-16 pieces. Enjoy alone or served with ice cream for a quick and tasty dessert!